Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

117 parks in 7 regions

Norwalk Section

Huron, Erie, Lorain · West & Northwest Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
52miles
23 of 26clockwise
3counties

Gentle farmland, villages and rail-trail scenery.

Goes through Norwalk and Wakeman on rail-trail and country roads, heading toward Findley State Park.

Highlights

  • Norwalk and its historic depot
  • Wakeman
  • Wellington Wildlife Area, listed on the ODNR route map

Parks on this section

Wellington Wildlife Area
Small state wildlife area listed on the route
Open

Historic sites near this section

Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum
The house in a canal port where Edison was born
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official Norwalk Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Camping is limited; Findley State Park has camping just beyond the section

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Water

Water in towns; limited along the rail-trail.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

The file holds 3 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Norwalk and Wakeman have services.

Food and fuel

Norwalk Trail Town
A rail-trail town on the Norwalk Section, with a historic depot restaurant.
Freight House Tavern
In an 1853 railroad depot; open daily
Directions
Circle K
Open 24 hours
Directions
Wakeman Trail Town
A village of historic architecture and natural beauty.
Wakeman Elevator Craft Beer & Wine Barn
Right on the Buckeye Trail and welcoming to trail hikers; open Thursday to Sunday
Directions
El Catedral Cocina and Bar
Mexican; open daily
Directions
Mickey Mart
Open 24 hours with a Subway; reviews say it is the only gas station for about six miles, and the pumps and card readers are sometimes down, so carry cash
Directions
Near Wellington Wildlife Area
The Fox Den
Diner and bar under one roof, opens 7 a.m. Closed Mondays
Directions
Dimitri's Corner Restaurant
Open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, big portions, cheap. Across from the 1885 town hall
Directions
bp
24 hours, south side of Wellington toward the park. Has a Dunkin inside
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.